The Butterfly Circus by Francesca Armour-Chelu

Author:Francesca Armour-Chelu [Armour-Chelu, Francesca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781406390018
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: 2019-06-06T04:00:00+00:00

12

Pickingill’s Parade

The next morning, I wake up to Rosa shifting in the curtains.

“Listen!” she says and cocks her head to the side. In the distance comes the sound of organ music. “Could be a circus?”

Another circus may mean Belle! I scoop up my bag and the pine-cone hedgehog and stamp my feet back in my boots. Outside, the sun is only just rising and the air is cool and misty, already full of the scent of doughnuts frying. We run back down the street until we reach the furthest end of the promenade, where the strains of the organ are getting louder. There’s a buzz of excitement as families gather, pointing at something coming towards us.

A weary young elephant is towing a huge showman’s carriage, and kicking up a dust storm from the dry road. She has a distinctive bump in her head, painted with an orange sun. At last she trundles to a stop and waits obediently, rocking from side to side and stamping her enormous feet. She looks so miserable. Her flanks are callused from where the carriage shafts have rubbed her skin. As the clouds of grit settle, the carriage emerges. It’s beautiful, with rows of gilded lilies along the top of the high, straight sides, blazing like a crown. On one side, a mechanical organ magically plays without an organist, the notes drifting out from golden pipes. On the other side, in foot-high letters are painted the words:

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